2011 Fishing Guide

2 • 2011 Fish Southwest Washington • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis Wash.

a Guide to Fishing in Southwest Washington

Expert Knowledge Combines With Piscatorial Cartoon Humor to Create

By The Chronicle The Chronicle’s inaugural fishing guide offers expert advice and direction on where to catch that big lunker or find that particular hidden-away lake to wal-low in some solitude while reeling in a few trout. It also includes Chronicle cartoon-ist David Ford’s brand of fishing humor interspersed with the practical informa-tion. The combination should make any fisherman from these parts pleased. The guide is broken up into six chap-ters — rivers and streams; lowland lakes; alpine lakes; ocean beaches, bays and harbors; fishing for smallmouth bass and a column about opening day by former Chronicle outdoors writer Russ Mohney. To characterize the information as “expert” is not an overstatement. The guide is written by Jim Byrd, who was born in Toledo in 1939, lived in that

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The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis Wash. • 2011 Fish Southwest Washington • 3

southern Lewis County town as well as Ryderwood, before settling in Winlock almost six decades ago. After a stint in the Navy, Byrd held several jobs, includ-ing working as a scientific technician for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in the early 1990s. At that time Byrd operated the fish trap on the North Fork Toutle River, and did field work in the Toutle River watershed and the Mount St. Helens area. “One of the highlights of this employ-ment period was hiking to alpine lakes to assess water quality and fish popula-tions,” Byrd said. “On one of these trips I hiked into Spirit Lake, set a small gill net overnight, then returned the next day and discovered the first fish found in post-eruption Spirit Lake — a rainbow trout affectionately named ‘Harry’ after local folk hero Harry Truman.” After retiring from the United States Naval Reserve, Byrd worked as an an-gling educator and outreach specialist for WDFW from 1992 to 2005, when he retired. He taught youth fishing classes across the state, managing several hun-dreds of volunteers and also taught fish-ing education for the Washington Out-door Women program. Of most interest to readers of this fishing guide, Byrd wrote and updated about 20 publications related to fishing in Washington state. He also was the one manning the WDFW’s booths at such events as sportfishing shows and fairs. Byrd now tinkers around on the old family farm in Winlock, inherited from his parents, plays a little golf (“poorly,” he said), and true to his calling, spends a lot of time fishing. His favorite fish are bass, walleye and other warmwater fish, but he also goes after salmon, trout, steelhead and marine fish. Sea-run cutthroat trout in the fall is a yearly cherished tradition. Along with his wife of 44 years — Kathleen — they criss-cross the Northwest in their RV searching for that perfect stretch of water, but they don’t fish south of the state border. “We used to fish Oregon a lot, but are boycotting Oregon since they more than doubled their non-resident fishing fees a couple years ago,” Byrd said. Byrd would appreciate any input into this year’s fishing guide. You can email him at [email protected].

Above: Jim Byrd, who wrote this year’s Chronicle fishing guide, holds a nice largemouth bass. Below: David Ford, who illustrated this year’s fishing guide, is a cartoonist by night and by day is prin-cipal at Tenino Elementary School. He is also an avid fisherman.


By Jim Byrd

For The Chronicle

Lewis County, the largest county in Western Washington, is blessed with a wonderful variety of fishing opportuni-ties, including alpine lakes, lowland lakes, rivers and streams, and easy access to saltwater bays and beaches. Anadromous fish (salmon, shad, steelhead and stur-geon), resident coldwater fish (trout and landlocked salmon), and warmwater fish (yellow perch, catfish, bass, crappie and other sunfish) are just a short drive away for most residents. Marine fish (rockfish, ling cod, halibut), and shellfish (clams, crabs) are also within an easy drive. Some of the information here comes from personal experience, some from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife sources, and some from “Lakes of Washington,” Volume 1, Third Edi-

Fishing in Lewis County and Southwest Washington

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tion, by Ernest Wolcott with the Wash-ington Department of Ecology. For updated fishing information, in-cluding emergency regulations and clo-sures, call the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s fishing hotline at (360) 902-2500, the Region 5 office in Vancou-ver at (360) 696-6211, the WDFW Fish Program’s customer service desk at (360) 902-2700, check the department’s web site at http://wdfw.wa.gov, or email fishing questions to [email protected].

Rivers and StreamsChehalis River:

This is the major drainage for north-ern and western Lewis County, plus much of Thurston and Grays Harbor counties and even a bit of Cowlitz and Pacific counties. In addition to salmon, steelhead and sturgeon, sections of the river provide good fishing for bass and other warmwater game fish. Most stur-geon fishing takes place in the lower river. Northern pikeminnows are found throughout, and shad runs have been reported in the past. Tributaries such as the Satsop, Wynoochee and Skookum-chuck rivers rank among the best salmon and steelhead streams in the state. Al-though most of the river is open to fish-ing year-round, regulations are complex, so be sure to check the latest Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet. Boating access is avail-able near Fort Borst Park, at Cedarville (west of Oakville), at Porter, at Fuller Bridge (just upstream from the Satsop’s mouth), near Montesano (off Highway 107 south of town), Cosmopolis and Ab-erdeen. The access at Fort Borst Park, while rough, provides an opportunity to venture upstream to sample bass fish-ing in the “frog water” area known as the Chehalis Reach. Ponds on the Chehalis Wildlife Area off of Schouweiler Road, southwest of Elma, are reported to con-tain largemouth bass and other warm-water species. The upper river and South Fork provide limited trout fishing; the mainstem above the Weyerhaeuser 1000 Road bridge south of Pe Ell is selective gear rules fishing only.

Cispus River: See Cowlitz River below.

Cowlitz River: One of the most popular salmon and steelhead rivers in the state, the Cowlitz always ranks near or at the top for steel-

head catches. Recent changes in manage-ment strategy by the state may reduce those catch numbers, but it should still be near the top. A Columbia River Salm-on/Steelhead Endorsement is required to fish for salmon or steelhead. Both sum-mer-run and winter-run steelhead are planted, plus coho and chinook salmon. Sea-run cutthroat trout provide lots of action in late summer and fall. Improved boating access is available below the Bar-rier Dam, at Blue Creek Trout Hatchery, at Massey Bar at the end of Buckley Road (also known as Mission Bar because it’s near the old Cowlitz Mission), in Toledo,

below the I-5 bridge south of Toledo, across from the mouth of Olequa Creek (take I-5 Exit 57, go south on Barnes Drive to Imboden Road, then right), in Castle Rock, and at Gearhart Gardens below Longview and Kelso. Bank fishing is available at most of the boating access sites. The upper Cowlitz (above Scanewa Lake) and its Cispus, Muddy Fork, Ohanapecosh, and Clear Fork tributar-ies offer limited trout and whitefish fish-ing during open seasons. A few salmon and steelhead make it up this far, too, but check the latest Sportfishing Rules Pam-phlet for legal fishing opportunities. The


Clear Fork of the Cowlitz, which follows U.S. Highway 12 part of the way up to-ward White Pass, is lightly fished but has rainbow trout and a few eastern brook trout. Best access is from Forest Road 46. The Muddy Fork is marginal for trout survival and growth. Both the Muddy Fork and Clear Fork have selective gear rules and require release of all cutthroat trout. The Cispus River’s North Fork and Adams Fork are nice trout streams, but again, all cutthroat must be released in the North Fork. The Adams Fork (aka Adams Creek) has some eastern brook trout, which are fair game. The Cispus and its tributaries offer excellent access from the network of Gifford Pinchot Na-tional Forest roads. If you’re going to fish these streams, a Cowlitz Valley Ranger District map is almost essential.

Newaukum River: Although no longer regularly planted with hatchery steelhead, this Chehalis River tributary and its forks still offer summer trout fishing, although few trout that meet the 14-inch minimum size limit are available. A few winter steelhead are caught, but all wild steelhead must be released. A fall salmon season provides a modest chance at hatchery coho. All oth-er salmon must be released. As always, read the latest Sportfishing Rules Pam-phlet before venturing forth. Smallmouth bass from the Chehalis River’s expanding population may also have colonized the lower Newaukum by now.

Skate Creek: This stream drains part of the northern Gifford Pinchot National For-est and Tatoosh Wilderness area before entering the Cowlitz. Skate Creek Road turns north in Packwood then turns into Forest Road 52 and follows most of the stream, providing lots of plac-es to park and fish. This is one of the few Western Washington streams still stocked with catchable-size rainbow trout for catch-and-keep trout fishing. For 2011, Tacoma Power will provide up to 7,500 pounds of trout marked with a clipped adipose fin, ranging in size from ⅓ pound to one pound. All rain-bow trout without a clipped adipose fin and healed scar must be released. And like most Cowlitz River tributaries, all cutthroat trout must be released. Trout daily limit is five fish, with an 8-inch minimum size and only one fish over 12 inches. Open season is first Saturday in June through Oct. 31.


Skookumchuck River: This Chehalis River tributary is a popular steelhead stream during late winter, with most action taking place shortly below the dam east of Bucoda. Other public access sites include the mouth and at Schaeffer County Park. Some coho salmon are caught, al-though it’s not highly-renowned as a salmon destination. All chinook and chum salmon must be released at all times, and wild coho for part of the season. Check the latest Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet for gear and season-al restrictions. Winter-run hatchery steelhead are the best bet, especially if you enjoy fishing with lots of company. A few sea-run cutthroat are available during late summer and fall.

Tilton River: From its various sources in the Gif-ford Pinchot and Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie national forests, this popular trout-fishing stream winds west past Mor-ton, follows state Route 508 for a while, then turns south to empty into Mayfield Lake and the Cowlitz River. Like nearby Skate Creek, the mainstem is one of the few streams still stocked with catch-able trout. This year, Tacoma Power will provide up to 8,000 pounds of rainbow trout ranging in size from one to three per pound. Surplus hatchery salmon, steelhead and sea-run cutthroat trout are released in fall and winter, often at Gus Backstom Park in Morton. Note: a Columbia River Salmon/Steelhead En-dorsement is required to fish for or retain salmon or steelhead in the Tilton. Check the regulations pamphlet carefully, as the mainstem and forks have different open seasons and regulations, which are too complex to list here. The river is not open to fishing year-round. Other aquatic ac-tivities, such as kayaking, are also popu-lar.

Lowland Lakes and PondsCarlisle Lake (Mill Pond):

This 20-acre pond on the northwest edge of Onalaska (from state Route 508, look north for the old chimney) is a popu-lar spot on Opening Day. Onalaska High School rears coho salmon and steelhead in net pens in the lake, plus 8,000 resi-dent rainbow trout. Landlocked salmon rules apply: salmon count with trout as part of the daily limit. The state will stock another 4,000 catchable-size rainbow

trout plus 315 larger triploid rainbows before the April opener. In addition, 88 broodstock rainbows (3- and 4-year-old fish in excess of hatchery needs) were stocked before the lake closed at the end of February. Beginning in 2011, brown trout are no longer stocked. Largemouth bass and a few other warmwater fish spe-cies also inhabit the lake. Shore access is good, and a rough boat launch is suitable for small trailers and hand-carried craft. Internal combustion (gasoline) engines are prohibited. Open season runs from the last Saturday in April through Feb. 28.

Davis Lake: Located on the north side of U.S. Highway 12, about 2.5 miles east of Morton, this 18-acre lake is scheduled to be stocked with 1,250 catchable-size

rainbow trout in late April. Bass and other warmwater fish can also be found here. The lake is open to fishing from the last Saturday in April through Feb. 28.

Fort Borst Park Pond: This 5-acre pond in Centralia’s Fort Borst Park is open only to juveniles (under 15 years of age). It is generously stocked with catchable-size rainbow trout, along with some larger triploid rainbows to make things more exciting for kids and parents. About 3,000 rain-bows were stocked this January, before the lake closed on Feb. 28. Another 4,000 catchable-size rainbows will be stocked before the April 30 opener, then 3,000 more in early May to keep the action going through spring and into summer. The pond is scheduled to get 372 triploid

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rainbows before the opener. A few warm-water fish are also present. The Centralia Lions Club has an annual fishing derby on Opening Day, with prizes, hot dogs, and help for the young anglers. Open season is from the last Saturday in April through Feb. 28.

Hayes Lake: This is the northernmost of the two ponds visible on the east side of I-5 driving through Centralia. Sometimes called Skookumchuck Lake or Slough, it is across the freeway from Fort Borst Park, and is connected by a channel to the Skookumchuck River. Size is about the same as Plummer Lake. Shore-fish-ing access is limited, but small hand-carried boats can be launched at a city park at the south end of Bridge Street (just past the Goodwill store). This pond is not stocked with trout, but has some largemouth bass and other warmwater gamefish. Most of the pond gets quite weedy by late summer, so spring and early summer is the best time to fish. Since it is not listed in the Sportfish-ing Rules Pamphlet, it is open to fishing year-round.

Mayfield Lake: At over 2,200 acres when full (it’s never drawn down very far), this Cowlitz River impoundment west of Mossyrock offers angling variety. There are several ways to get to the lake, all off of U.S. Highway 12. The main draw is probably tiger musk-ies, which are a sterile cross between northern pike and muskellunge. May-field was the first lake in Washington to receive these toothy hybrids, and holds the current state record of 31.25 pounds, caught in 2001. Because their numbers are limited and they serve a biological purpose by eating lots of northern pikeminnows, most anglers carefully photograph and weigh these trophies, then release them. Minimum size to keep tiger muskies is 50 inches. Most musky fishing takes place in the warmer months. Rainbow trout are also a prime attraction, with 30,000 pounds of trout, ranging from one to three per pound, promised by Tacoma Power for 2011. In addition, Mayfield has a good population of tasty and un-der-fished yellow perch, and a few oth-er warmwater gamefish are occasional-ly caught. Limited shore fishing access is available near the trout hatchery (off Birley Road west of Mossyrock), at Ike

Kinswa State Park, and in the Winston Creek Arm. Excellent (and free) boat launching facilities are found at the county park, located about 3.5 miles west of Mossyrock along U.S. Highway 12. Other boat launching sites include Ike Kinswa State Park and Lake May-field Resort and Marina off of Winston Creek Road. The lake is open to fishing year-round. Check the latest Sportfish-ing Rules Pamphlet for special trout regulations. All cutthroat trout must be released.

Mineral Lake: This 277-acre lake three miles south-east of Elbe provides excellent trout fishing for those who enjoy lots of com-pany. The lake sits at 1,770 feet eleva-tion, and on clear days Mount Rainier provides a scenic backdrop. Take state

Route 7 north from Morton about 11.5 miles, then turn east onto South Min-eral Road another 1.7 miles through the small town of Mineral. The state plants more than 100,000 rainbow trout fry each year, and Mineral Lake Resort rears thousands more to catchable size in net pens. Some larger broodstock and triploid rainbows are also stocked annually, plus several thousand brown trout. For 2011, almost 300 broodstock rainbows (3- and 4-year-old fish in ex-cess of hatchery needs) will be stocked along with nearly 700 triploid rainbows and 8,000 browns. Illegally-introduced largemouth bass are also present. Most shore fishing is from public fishing docks at the west end of the lake and docks at Mineral Lake Resort. The state boat launch is small, so patience is needed, especially on Opening Day. Open season is the last Saturday in


April through Sept. 30. Get there early on Opening Day to claim your rock.

Plummer Lake: This 12-acre pond is the southern-most of the two ponds visible along the east side of I-5 as you pass through Cen-tralia. It is stocked with catchable-size rainbow trout before Opening Day, and also has warmwater gamefish, including yellow perch, bluegill and largemouth bass. Public access is limited, but hand-carry boats can be launched at a small park at the end of Lewis Street. There is a little room for shore-fishing around this park also. Open season is last Saturday in April through Feb. 28.

Riffe Lake: Lewis County’s largest body of wa-ter at 11,830 acres full pool, this Cowlitz River reservoir stretches more than 13 miles along U.S. Highway 12 east of Mossyrock. The primary fishery is for landlocked coho salmon that are pro-duced in the upper Cowlitz and Cis-pus. Some of these coho are collected in an outmigrant trap at Cowlitz Falls Dam, but good numbers of them pass downstream and take up residence in Riffe. There are also a few landlocked chinook salmon, rainbow trout, cut-throat trout and an occasional brown trout. Landlocked salmon rules apply; salmon count as part of the trout daily limit. The cutthroat release rule that applies in Mayfield and Scanewa lakes is not in effect here. Riffe Lake has be-come one of Western Washington’s top smallmouth bass destinations, hosting several bass tournaments annually. Yel-low perch, bullhead catfish, largemouth bass and a few other warmwater fish are also present. Bank access is available on both sides near the dam, by the Swof-ford Pond inlet, at Mossyrock Park, and at the Taidnapam Park “fishing bridge” near the upper end of the reservoir. Four boat ramps are provided by Taco-ma Power, one at Mossyrock Park (turn off at the U.S. Highway 12 traffic light and drive past the school, turn left at the “T” onto State Street, which becomes Mossyrock Road and then Ajlune Road, and drive 3.2 miles), one near the upper end at Kosmos Road, and two in or near Taidnapam Park (turn off at Kosmos Road about five miles east of Morton, then turn left onto the Champion Haul Road). The Mossyrock Park ramp is the only one available during low water, and sometimes even it is not usable. To

check reservoir levels and boat launch suitability, call Tacoma Power’s toll-free recreational hotline at (888) 502-8690. The fishing season is open year-round.

Scanewa Lake: Originally known as Cowlitz Falls Reservoir, this 610-acre impoundment is located about 10 crow miles southwest of Randle. Turn on Savio Road west of Randle, turn south onto Kiona Road for 1.9 miles, then turn west (right) onto Falls Road for 3.6 miles to a turnoff for the day use area. For the campground, skip the turn onto Falls Road and con-tinue on Kiona Road, which turns into Peters Road. Good signage at every turn helps. Lewis County PUD stocks catchable-size rainbow trout. This year a total of 20,000 fish are scheduled to be stocked at four sites throughout the

lake beginning in late June and continu-ing through August. Another 5,000 plus fish, including some larger fish up to 10 pounds, will be planted at the kid’s fishing derby site for a June 11 derby co-sponsored by the PUD and U.S. Forest Service; watch for information in The Chronicle the week before the derby. These plants will continue through early July to keep the fishing derby site well-stocked. Salmon and steelhead in excess of hatchery needs are often re-leased here to provide additional fishing opportunity. The reservoir is open to fishing from June 1 through Feb. 28, but regulations vary over the course of the open season. Be sure to check the latest Fishing Rules Pamphlet for special trout and salmon regulations, which are too complex to list here. Note that all cut-throat trout must be released during all open seasons.

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Siler Pond: This tiny (about one acre) pond 6.6 miles east of the Mossyrock junction, vis-ible looking downhill to the right when heading eastbound on U.S. Highway 12, will be stocked with 1,000 catchable-size rainbow trout by mid-April, weather per-mitting. It is open to fishing year-round.

Silver Lake (Cowlitz County): Although listed at almost 3,000 sur-face acres, this Cowlitz County lake probably has less than 2,000 fishable acres. Located along the south side of state Route 504 about seven miles east of Castle Rock, it is included here because it’s still one of Western Washington’s best lakes for warmwater species such as largemouth bass, both black and white crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead catfish and yellow perch. And thanks to grass carp, it now has enough open (weed-free) water to support trout plants. It was stocked with 6,000 catchable-size rainbows in January, and another 8.000 in March. Bass fishing usually picks up after the water warms in early spring and is good through summer and fall. Crappie fishing can be good all spring and summer, and especially good in fall, although some years it’s hard to catch a legal-size crappie (nine inches mini-mum). Bluegill and catfish bite best in the summer months. Yellow perch can be taken almost any time of year. Like the crappie, however, perch often tend to run small here, but there is no mini-mum size on them. Fishing is open year-round.

South Lewis County Park Pond: This 12-acre pond just southeast of Toledo has excellent shore access, fish-ing docks and a small boat launch. Turn right on Ray Road just after crossing the Cowlitz River eastbound on state Route 505. It is stocked annually with a vari-ety of trout. This year the state will stock 5,000 browns and 3,000 rainbows plus another 580 larger triploid rainbows. The pond also contains largemouth bass and bluegill. A few tiger muskies were planted in 1999, but may not survive currently; if you catch one, remember that the state-wide size limit is 50 inches. Grass carp have been planted for aquatic weed con-trol; it is illegal to fish for or retain them. The pond is open to fishing year-round, but occasionally, usually in late summer, closed to other aquatic pursuits such as swimming because of water quality con-cerns.


Swofford Pond: This 240-acre pond east of Mossy-rock offers plenty of fishing variety, usually with good prospects for suc-cess. Turn right off of U.S. Highway 12 at the Mossyrock stoplight, turn left at the “T” (State Street) and follow Moss-yrock Road 2.6 miles. Turn right onto Swofford Road, which will lead you to the lake. Shore access is good, with sev-eral pullouts on the north shore. There is a rough boat launch, but internal combustion (gasoline) engines are not allowed. In Washington, that means you can’t even legally have one mount-ed on your boat while on the water here. There are naturally-reproducing warmwater fish populations, including bluegill, largemouth bass, crappie and lots of brown bullhead catfish. Chan-nel catfish have been stocked, and a few lunkers have been caught. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will stock 6,000 brown trout this year, and Tacoma Power will pro-vide about 4,500 pounds of catchable-size rainbow trout ranging in size from ⅓-pound to one pound. A few of the browns carry over (survive more than one season) to attain larger size and test your tackle. Open fishing season is year-round.

Alpine Lakes The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife defines alpine lakes as those above 2,500 feet in Western Washing-ton. Because the overall terrain is higher in Eastern Washington, 3,500 feet is the alpine level there. There are about 80 named alpine lakes in Lewis County, plus numerous smaller unnamed ones. Those listed here are either known to currently have fish, or have had fish in the recent past. A few lakes from other counties that may be of local interest are listed here as well. Note that most of these lakes do not have self-reproducing fish populations, and depend on stocking every few years to remain viable fisheries. An exception is those with eastern brook trout, which, unlike our native rainbow and cutthroat trout, often manage to spawn in lake en-vironments. Unless otherwise noted, alpine lakes are open to fishing year-round, but ac-cess is best during summer months. Some may be accessible as early as May, depending on elevation, exposure and winter severity, but access is generally

better from June or July through Octo-ber. Access routes (roads or trails) listed here are not guaranteed to be open or serviceable. For updated road and trail information, call the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District office in Randle at (360) 497-1100, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest headquarters in Vancouver at (360) 891-5000, the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument head-quarters in Amboy at (306) 449-7800, or Weyerhaeuser in Longview at (360) 425-2150 (press 1 for recreational access information). The U.S. Forest Service Cowlitz Valley Ranger District map, which shows roads and trails in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, parts of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National For-est that are managed with the Gifford Pinchot, part of the Mount St. Helens

National Volcanic Monument, plus Goat Rocks, Tatoosh, and William O. Douglas wilderness areas, is a very helpful reference for this area. Com-mercial products such as the DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer and Benchmark Maps Washington Road and Recre-ation Atlas are also useful. The Wash-ington Forest Protection Association’s St. Helens West hunting map is a good navigation aid for the southern part of our area, especially for finding your way into Castle Lake. Locations are given first by Town-ship, Range and Section, then by lati-tude and longitude in degrees, minutes, plus decimal degrees (xx.xxxx degrees N, -xxx.xxxx degrees W) in parentheses (except for “drive-to” lakes). NAD83/WGS84 datum is used. To get an over-head view of these lakes and to recon-

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noiter their surroundings, go to Google Earth on the internet and enter the sec-ond set of numbers (the numbers in pa-rentheses).

Anderson lakes: Two connected lakes, the upper at 3,960 feet elevation and 1.5 acres, the lower at 3,870 feet and 8 acres. They drain via Lake Creek to the Nisqually River. Both have stunted populations of eastern brook trout. A few tiger muskies were stocked in 2005 to help control the brook trout over-population, with not much in the way of positive results so far. In the unlikely event you should hook a musky, and even more unlikely event you should land one, remember they have to be 50 inches to legally keep. A logging road passes between the lakes. T14N, R6E, Sec 15; 46 deg 41.68 min N, 122 deg 01.97 min W (46.6946, -121.0333) at out-let of upper lake.

Art Lake: Elevation 3,760 feet, size is 1.5 acres; drains via Lake Creek to the Cowlitz River. Stocked periodically with west-slope cutthroat trout. USFS Road 4830 skirts the lake’s north edge. T13N, R10E, Sec 19; 46 deg 36.21 min N, 121 deg 36.438 min W (46.6035, -121.6073) at north end.

Backbone Lake: Technically not an alpine lake, as elevation is only 2,081 feet. Size is 3.5 acres. Drains to the Cowlitz River. Al-though cutthroat have been stocked in the past, a self-reproducing population of eastern brook trout is likely all you’ll find now. Backbone may be accessible as early as April because of its lower eleva-tion and exposure. Access is via a half-mile hike on Backbone Ridge Trail #164 from USFS Road 1270. T14N, R10E, Sec 30; 46 deg 40.81 min N, 121 deg 36.11 min W (46.680, -121.602) at southwest corner.

Bertha May lakes: Two connected lakes, upper at 4,055 feet and 30 acres, lower at 3,671 feet and 6 acres. The lower lake is some-times identified as Pothole Lake. Drain via Teeley Creek and Big Creek to the Nisqually River. Both lakes have been stocked numerous times with eastern brook, rainbow and cutthroat trout fry, but dense sculpin populations are a seri-ous impediment to trout survival. Some

limited success has been achieved by stocking catchable-size rainbows, and a few brookies are still caught. Located in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National For-est (but shown on the GPNF map), ac-cess is by a three-quarter mile hike on Trail #251 off of USFS Road 8410. T14N, R7E, Sec 16; 46 deg 41.976 min N, 121 deg 56.16 min W (46.6996, -121.936) at upper lake outlet.

Bill Lake: Elevation 5,100 feet, size 4 acres; drains via Summit Creek to the Ohana-pecosh River. Stocked periodically with westslope cutthroat. Located in the Wil-liam O. Douglas Wilderness north of White Pass, access is cross-country (i.e., no trail) about one-fourth mile from the Pacific Crest Trail. T14N, R11E, Sec 11;


46 deg 43.104 min N, 121 deg 23.322 min W (46.7184, -121.3887) at west shore.

Bishop Ridge Pond: Elevation 4,275 feet, 2.5 acres; drains to the North Fork Cispus River. West-slope cutthroat are stocked, but the shal-low nature of the lake leads to occasional winterkill. In Gifford Pinchot National

Forest, several hundred feet from USFS Road 7802. T11N, R9E, Sec 21; 46 deg 25.884 min N, 121 deg 42.264 min W (46.4314, -121.7044) at west shore.

Blue Lake: Elevation 4,058 feet, size 128 acres; drains via Blue Lake Creek to the Cispus River. This relatively large, deep lake in

the Gifford Pinchot National Forest is not stocked, but provides decent fish-ing for eastern brook trout, with an oc-casional rainbow or cutthroat reported. The lake has campsites, outhouses, picnic tables plus a decent trail around the lake. Blue Lake Trail #271 leads from USFS Road 23 to the outlet, a distance of about three miles, and is open to motorized bikes. T11N, R9E, Sec 33; 46 deg 24.222 min N, 121 deg 41.916 min W (46.4037, -121.6986) at outlet.

Bluff Lake: Elevation 3,845 feet, size 8 acres; drains via Purcell Creek to the Cowlitz River. Bluff has a self-reproducing east-ern brook trout population, and is also stocked periodically with westslope cut-throat. Located in the Goat Rocks Wil-derness, access is via a two-mile hike on Trail #65 off of USFS Road 4612. T14N, R10E, Sec 34; 46 deg 39.48 min N, 121 deg 32.832 min W (46.658, -121.5472) at south end of lake. The trail heads at ap-proximately 46 deg 39.27 min N, 121 deg 34.20 min W (46.6535, -121.570).

Castle Lake (Cowlitz County): Elevation 2,592 feet, size 264 acres; drains via Castle Creek to the North Fork Toutle River. Self-reproducing rainbow trout provide an excellent fish-ery, mostly catch-and-release, for those willing to put forth the effort. Special fishing regulations are in effect, be sure to check the latest Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet. Access is via a difficult hike downhill from Weyerhaeuser Road 3000 (from which the lake is visible), or an easier but longer hike down closed and poorly-marked logging roads con-necting to Road 3000. Note that this road, which is jointly managed by Wey-erhaeuser and the state DNR, is often snowbound until summer. T19N, R4E, Sec 14; 46 deg 15.6 min N, 122 deg 16.85 min W (46.260, -122.281) at outlet; 46 deg 14.904 min N, 122 deg 16.89 min W (46.2484, -122.2815) at westernmost shoreline.

Chambers Lake: Elevation 4,438 feet, size 14.4 acres; drains via Chambers Creek to the Cispus River. Self-reproducing brook trout, mostly stunted from overpopu-lation, provide the bulk of the fishery here. Brown trout are stocked, and can grow to a decent size with all those little brook trout to feed on. Located in Gif-ford Pinchot National Forest, USFS


Road 2150 leads to a well-developed campground near the eastern shore. T11N, R10E, Sec 2.

Coldwater Lake (Cowlitz and Skamania counties):

Elevation 2,493 feet, size 766 acres; drains via South Coldwater Creek to the North Fork Toutle River. A self-re-producing population of rainbow trout provides most of the excellent fishery, with both westslope and coastal cut-throat trout also present. Special fishing regulations are in effect; be sure to check the latest Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet. Access is via a well-marked side road off of state Route 504, downhill from the closed Coldwater Ridge Visitor’s Cen-ter. There is a well-developed access at the south end, with a paved single-lane boat launch, paved parking area, fish-cleaning station and restrooms. Shore-line access is limited, but there are a few spots to fish from Lakes Trail #211, which heads at the boat launch. Fishing from unauthorized places will likely get you an expensive ticket from the Forest Service. The Forest Service charges a fee to use the area. Internal combustion (gasoline) engines are not allowed on the lake. Afternoon winds seem to always be blowing away from the boat launch, making it a challenge to get back in a float tube or small boat.

Cora Lake: Elevation 3,832 feet, size 28 acres; drains via Big Creek to the Nisqually River. Similar to nearby Bertha May lakes (described above), abundant sculpins make it difficult to establish a trout fishery. Like Bertha May, lim-ited success has been achieved by stock-ing catchable-size rainbows, and a few brook trout are present. Located in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (but shown on the GPNF map), access is via Trail #252 of off USFS Road 8420. T14N, R7E, Sec 23; 46 deg 41.442 min N, 121 deg 53.40 min W (46.6907, -121.890) at outlet.

Coyote Lake: Elevation 5,140 feet, size 4 acres; drains via Coyote Creek to the Clear Fork Cowlitz River. Stocked with west-slope cutthroat trout, the lake also has a few self-reproducing rainbows. Locat-ed in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, this beautiful lake in a spectacular setting is accessible via a cross-country hike or

a secondary trail off of Trail #76, with a lung-testing 1,900 foot elevation gain from the Clear Fork. T13N, R10E, Sec 13; 46 deg 36.8 min N, 121 deg 29.82 min W (46.6127, -121.496) at eastern corner.

Deadmans Lake (Skamania County): Elevation 4,360 feet, size 34 acres; drains via Quartz Creek to the Cispus River. This lake in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument contains numerous stunted eastern brook trout. Trail #217-C off of Goat Mountain Trail #217 leads to the lake. T10N, R5E, Sec 1;

46 deg 22.698 min N, 122 deg 07.752 min W (46.3783, -122.1292) at access.

Duck Lake: Elevation 3,169 feet, size 14 acres; drains through Goose Lake and Lake Creek to the Little Nisqually River. Al-though eastern brook, cutthroat and rainbow trout have all been stocked in the past, only the brookies seem to have persevered. The lake is not currently stocked, but the self-reproducing brook trout population provides a fishery. Lo-cated in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Na-tional Forest (but shown on the GPNF


map), access is via a half-mile trail from Goose Lake (see below). T14N, R4E, Sec 29; 46 deg 39.87 min N, 122 deg 19.776 min W (46.6645, -122.3296) at outlet.

Dumbell Lake: Elevation 5,091 feet, size 41.6 acres; drains via Buesch Lake and Summit Creek to the Ohanapecosh River. West-slope cutthroat trout are stocked pe-riodically. Located in the William O. Douglas Wilderness, easiest access is via Cramer Lake Trail #1106 from Dog Lake Campground to Trail #1156A, a hike of about 3.5 miles. T14N, R11E, Sec 24; 46 deg 41.43 min N, 121 deg 22.50 min W (46.6905, -121.375) at easternmost point (which is on or near the Yakima County line).

Frying Pan Lake: Elevation 4,814 feet, size 23 acres; drains via Summit Creek to Ohanape-cosh River. Westslope cutthroat trout are stocked periodically. Located in the Wil-liam O. Douglas Wilderness, access is via trails #44 and #43 from Soda Springs campground. Total hiking distance is about 4.5 miles. T14N, R11E, Sec 3; 46 deg 44.028 min N, 121 deg 25.074 min W (46.7338, -121.4179) at north end.

Gertrude Lake: Elevation 5,736 feet, size 14 acres; drains via Walupt Lake and Walupt Creek to the Cispus River. A self-repro-ducing population of rainbow trout from a 1951 plant. Located in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, access is 4.3 miles from Wal-upt Lake on Walupt Lake Trail #101 to the Pacific Crest Trail, then cross-country another 1.5 miles. T11N, R11E, Sec 35; 46 deg 23.538 min N, 121 deg 23.904 min W (46.3923, -121.3984) at north end.

Glacier Lake: Elevation 2,905 feet, size 19.8 acres; drains via Glacier Creek and Johnson Creek to the Cowlitz River. Self-repro-ducing brook trout. Located in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, access is a two-mile hike via Trail #89 off of USFS Road 2110. T12N, R10E, Sec 8; 46 deg 32.87 min N, 121 deg 35.256 min W (46.548, -121.5876) at west end.

Goose Lake: Elevation 2,863 feet, size 8 acres; drains via Lake Creek to the Little Nisqually River. Similar to nearby Duck

Lake, which feeds into Goose, self-repro-ducing eastern brook trout dominate the fishery. Rainbow trout manage a little reproduction in the lake’s tributaries, as a few are caught. Westslope cutthroat and brown trout have also been stocked in the past, and may occasionally enter the catch. Located in the Mt. Baker-Sno-qualmie National Forest (but shown on the GPNF map), access is via USFS Road 74 and Spur 209, which passes a couple hundred feet east of the lake. T14N, R4E, Sec 29; 46 deg 40.128 min N, 122 deg 19.548 min W (46.6688, -122.3258) at east shore.

Granite Lake: Elevation 4,175 feet, size 29 acres; drains via Teeley Creek and Big Creek to Nisqually River. Cutthroat and rain-bow trout have been stocked in the past,

but eastern brook trout seem to be the only survivors here now. An occasional lunker brookie is taken. Located in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, but managed by and shown on the GPNF map. Access is via a half-mile hike past Bertha May Lake on Trail #251, off of USFS Road 8410. T14N, R7E, Sec 16; 46 deg 41.88 min N, 121 deg 55.54 min W (46.698, -121.926) at outlet.

Greenwood Lake: Elevation 4,462 feet, size 7.5 acres; drains via Catt Creek and Big Creek to the Nisqually River. Self-reproducing eastern brook trout grow to decent size here. Greenwood is located in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, but shown on the GPNF map. Access is via Trail #253, which crosses USFS Road 8511 about half a mile south of the lake,

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but is poorly-maintained and difficult to follow. T14N, R7E, Sec 34; 46 deg 39.546 min N, 121 deg 54.63 min W (46.6591, -121.9105) at northwest cor-ner.

Hager Lake: Elevation 2,932 feet, size 2 acres; drains via Hager Creek and Hall Creek to the Cowlitz River. The state Game Department tried to rehabilitate the lake with rotenone in 1980 to remove a stunted eastern brook trout population, but this effort failed. Some brook trout survived, and the lake is again over-populated with stunted brookies. USFS Road 48 passes close by the south end of the lake, and secondary road 4830 cross-es the outlet just west of the lake. T13N, R9E, Sec 35; 46 deg 34.668 min N, 121 deg 38.202 min W (46.5778, -121.6367) at west end.

Hugo lakes: Two connected lakes, the upper at 4,013 feet elevation, the lower at 3,990 feet; both are 1.5 acres in size and drain via Johnson Creek to the Cowlitz River. The lower lake has a small population of westslope cutthroat trout; the upper lake is too shallow and swampy to support trout. Located in the Gifford Pinchot Na-tional Forest, USFS Road 21 passes a few hundred feet to the west of these lakes. T11N, R10E, Sec 10; 46 deg 27.444 min N, 121 deg 33.18 min W (46.4574, -121.553) at Lower Hugo outlet.

Jackpot Lake: Elevation 4,551 feet, size 5.5 acres; drains via Jackpot Creek to the North Fork Cispus River. Stocked periodi-cally with westslope cutthroat trout. Located in the Gifford Pinchot Nation-al Forest, USFS Road 20 passes a few hundred feet north of the lake. T11N, R9E, Sec 4; 46 deg 28.04 min N, 121 deg 41.88 min W (46.4672, -121.698) at north end.

Janelle Lake: See West Fork Lake below.

Jess Lake: Elevation 5,118 feet, size 4 acres; drains via Summit Creek to Ohanape-cosh River. Stocked periodically with westslope cutthroat trout. Located in the William O. Douglas Wilderness, Jess is a short hike cross-country from

the Pacific Crest Trail. T14N, R11E, Sec 14; 46 deg 42.32 min N, 121 deg 23.262 min W (46.7051, -121.3877) at southeast corner.

Johnson Lake: Elevation 4,222 feet, size varies 4 to 8 acres; drains via Johnson Creek and Skate Creek to the Cowlitz River. Westslope cutthroat trout have been stocked in the past, but are not current-ly part of the management plan here. The lake does have a self-reproducing population of coastal-strain cutthroat trout, however, which can make the arduous hike worthwhile. Located in the Tatoosh Wilderness, access is via a

steep, rocky one-mile hike up the out-let creek from USFS Road 4745. T14N, R8E, Sec 2; 46 deg 43.82 min N, 121 deg 46.098 min W (46.730, -121.7683) at outlet.

Jug Lake: Elevation 4,416 feet, size 28 acres; drains via Jug Creek and Summit Creek to the Ohanapecosh River. Self-repro-ducing, stunted eastern brook trout. Located in the William O. Douglas Wilderness, access is from Soda Springs campground via Trail #44 to Trail #43, a distance of about 3.5 miles. T14N, R11E, Sec 9; 46 deg 43.42 min N, 121 deg 26.13 min W (46.724, -121.436) at northeast corner.


Knuppenburg Lake: Elevation 4,106 feet, size 4.5 acres; drains via Millridge Creek to the Clear Fork Cowlitz River. Ever wonder about that little lake on the right just before you get to White Pass going east on U.S. Highway 12? That’s Knuppenburg. It has been planted with rainbow, cut-throat, eastern brook and brown trout in the past, but currently only browns are stocked. There is some eastern brook trout natural reproduction, though, so you might find either browns or brook-ies. High winter flows scour out the spawning gravel and even flush fish out of the lake, so the population never seems to grow too large. There is a pull-out and picnic area.

Leech Lake (Yakima County): Elevation 4,412 feet, size 41 acres. Just east of White Pass on the north side of U.S. Highway 12, this lake is open to fly-fishing only. It has a self-reproducing population of eastern brook trout, and triploid rainbow trout have been stocked. Facilities include a Forest Service camp-ground and boat launch, but motors are prohibited. Be sure to check the latest Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet for special regulations.

Lily Lake: Elevation 3,655 feet, size 25 acres; drains to the Clear Fork Cowlitz River. Self-reproducing eastern brook trout inhabit the lake, but never seem to be abundant, which allows them to grow to a better-than-average size. Located in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, access is via USFS Road 46 and a short hike from Trail #61. T13N, R11E, Sec 6; 46 deg 38.59 min N, 121 deg 28.38 min W (46.6425, -121.473) at north end.

Lone Tree Lake: Elevation 3,880 feet, size 2.5 acres; drains via Cunningham Creek to the Cowlitz River. Westslope cutthroat trout are stocked periodically. Located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, spur 012 from USFS Road 5505 passes several hundred feet north of the lake. T12N, R8E, Sec 32; 46 deg 28.95 min N, 121 deg 50.30 min W (46.4825, -121.8385) at north end.

Long Lake: Elevation 3,822 feet, size 7 acres; drains via Willame Creek to the Cowlitz

River. Although rainbow and cutthroat trout have been stocked in the past, brown trout provide the current fishery. The lake is visible and can be accessed from USFS Road 4720 passing to the north. T13N, R8E, Sec 9; 46 deg 37.752 min N, 121 deg 48.26 min W (46.6292, -121.804) at outlet.

Lost Lake: Elevation 5,165 feet, size 21 acres; drains via Lost Creek and Coal Creek to the Cowlitz River. Westslope cut-throat trout are stocked periodically. Note: there are at least 31 “lost” lakes in Washington, but this is the only one in Lewis County you’ll find with fish in it. Located in the Goat Rocks Wilderness; access is by way of Clear Creek Trail #76 to Trail #78, a strenuous hike of almost eight miles from U.S. Highway 12, with

an elevation gain of 2,750 feet. T13N, R10E, Sec 23; 46 deg 36.0 min N, 121 deg 30.69 min W (46.600, -121.5115) at south end.

Lost Hat Lake: Elevation 5,580 feet, size 3 acres; drains via Lava Creek to the Clear Fork Cowlitz River. Westslope cutthroat trout are stocked periodically. Located in the Goat Rocks Wilderness about two miles north of Lost Lake (see above); access is via trails #76 and #78. T13N, R10E, Sec 13; 46 deg 37.152 min N, 121 deg 30.53 min W (46.6192, -121.509) at north end.

McKinley Lake: Elevation 3,180 feet, size 3 acres; drains to East Fork Tilton River. The beaver dam impounding this former

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brook trout lake has broken, effectively draining the lake and eliminating that fishery.

Moss Lake: Elevation 3,025 feet, size 3.5 acres; drains to Newaukum Lake and the South Fork Newaukum River. Westslope cut-throat trout are stocked periodically, and eastern brook trout may also be present. Road E337 leads to near the lake. T14N, R3E, Sec 31; 46 deg 39.678 min N, 122 deg 28.65 min W (46.6613, -122.478) at outlet.

Mouse Lake: Elevation 4,475 feet, size 9 acres; drains via Mouse Creek and Buck Creek to the Cispus River. Westslope cutthroat are planted periodically, but the lake is subject to winterkill because it’s so shal-low. Located in the Gifford Pinchot Na-tional Forest, access is via a half-mile hike from the end of Spur 642 off of USFS Road 7812. T10N, R9E, Sec 14; 46 deg 21.558 min N, 121 deg 39.828 min W (46.3593, -121.6638) at outlet.

Mud Lake: Elevation 4,864 feet, size 7.5 acres; drains via Timonium Creek to the Cis-pus River. Similar to Mouse Lake (see above), westslope cutthroat are stocked periodically, but winterkill is a danger to fish survival. Located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Spur 027 off of USFS Road 7807 leads to the lake. T11N, R10E, Sec 31; 46 deg 23.71 min N, 121 deg 36.97 min W (46.395, -121.616) at road access.

Newaukum Lake: Elevation 2,982 feet, size 17 acres; drains to the South Fork Newaukum River. The self-reproducing eastern brook trout appear to be stunted from over-population. Road E337 leads near the lake. T14N, R3E, Sec 30; 46 deg 39.99 min N, 122 deg 28.56 min W (46.6665, -122.476) at outlet.

Packwood Lake: Elevation 2,857 feet, size 452 acres; drains via Lake Creek to the Cowlitz River. Unlike other alpine lakes listed here, Packwood has a closed season: open last Saturday in April through Oct. 31. Special regulations are also in effect; be sure to check the latest Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet. Vari-

ous strains of rainbow trout have been stocked here in the past, but the unique Packwood rainbows have managed to survive “gene pool intrusion.” More closely resembling inland, or “redband” rainbows, these beautiful fish are more colorful than coastal rainbow trout. They don’t seem to grow to trophy size, with 12 to 14 inches near maximum. Packwood Trail #78 heads at USFS Road 1260; motor bikes are allowed. Distance to the lake is 4.6 miles. T13N,

R10E, Sec 21; 46 deg 35.73 min N, 121 deg 34.07 min W (46.5955, -121.568) at outlet.

Pipe Lake: Elevation 5,194 feet, size 8.5 acres; drains via Jess Lake and Summit Creek to the Ohanapecosh River. Westslope cutthroat trout are stocked periodically. Located in the William O. Douglas Wil-derness, the Pacific Crest Trail skirts the


eastern edge of the lake. One glance from the air or Google Earth will validate the name. T14N, R11E, Sec 14; 46 deg 42.18 min N, 121 deg 23.10 min W (46.703, -121.385) at northeast corner.

Pothole Lake: See Bertha May lakes.

St. John Lake: Elevation 5,108 feet, size 3 acres; drains via St. John Creek to the North Fork Cispus River. This is one of the few places Washington anglers can hope to catch a golden trout. Located in the Gif-ford Pinchot National Forest. Access is via either a steep uphill climb from the north side of St. Michael Lake (see below), or a longer but easier hike on Trail #7, ac-cessible by cross-country hike from USFS Road 20 or Road 2130. T 11N, R10E, Sec 6; 46 deg 28.19 min N, 121 deg 37.11 min W (46.470, -121.6185) at east end.

St. Michael Lake: Elevation 4,714 feet, size 9 acres; drains via St. Michael Creek to the North Fork Cispus River. Westslope cutthroat are stocked periodically, and a few gold-en trout have been slipped in on the way to St. John Lake in the past. In addition, a few self-reproducing rainbow trout are reported. Located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. A three-quarter mile hike cross-country up the outlet creek, accessible from Spur 670 off of USFS Road 2212, will get you there. T11N, R10E, Sec 6; 46 deg 27.69 min N, 121 deg 37.44 min W (46.4615, -121.624) at out-let.

Snow Lake: Elevation 4,938 feet, size 8 acres; drains via Summit Creek to the Ohana-pecosh River. Westslope cutthroat trout are stocked periodically, but occasional winterkill occurs due to the shallow depth. Located in the William O. Doug-las Wilderness, access is either by way of trails #44 and #45 from Soda Springs campground, or from the Pacific Crest Trail, which skirts the western shore-line. T14N, R11E, Sec 11; 46 deg 43.398 min N, 121 deg 24.228 min W (46.7233, -121.4038) at west end.

Snyder Lake: Technically not an alpine lake, as the elevation is only 2,038 feet; size is 3 acres; drains via Snyder Creek and Hall

Creek to the Cowlitz River. Snyder has a self-reproducing population of eastern brook trout; due to it’s lower elevation, it may be accessible as early as late March or early April. Located within a few hundred feet of USFS Road 1260. T13N, R9E, Sec 26; 46 deg 35.628 min N, 121 deg 38.652 min W (46.5938, -121.6442) at outlet.

Vanson Lake: Elevation 4,514 feet, size 10 acres; drains via Green River to the Toutle River. Over-populated and stunted east-ern brook trout are available. Located in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Vanson Lake Trail #217-B is a quarter-mile spur off of Goat Moun-tain Trail #217, which heads on USFS Road 2612 near Ryan Lake. An alterna-

tive route is by way of Trail #205, which heads at the end of USFS Road 2750, to trails #217 and #217-B. T11N, R5E, Sec 27; 46 deg 24.192 min N, 122 deg 09.54 min W (46.4032, -122.159) at access on east shore.

Walupt Lake: Elevation 3,927 feet, size 384 acres; drains via Walupt Creek to the Cispus River. Rainbow trout similar to the Pack-wood strain (see above) are the dominant species. Cutthroat were stocked prior to 1970, and some cutthroat and cutthroat/rainbow hybrids occur. Unlike other al-pine lakes listed here, but like nearby Packwood Lake, Walupt has a closed sea-son: open last Saturday in April through Oct. 31. Various special regulations are in effect to protect the self-reproducing

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fish populations; be sure to check the lat-est Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet. USFS Road 2160 leads to the lake, with a large campground and boat launch facilities; internal combustion (gasoline) engines are not allowed. T11N, R11E, Sec 19 at access.

Watch Lake: Elevation 3,559 feet, size 15 acres; drains via Lake Creek and Silver Creek to the Cowlitz River. Westslope cutthroat trout are stocked periodically. A Murray-Pacific logging road skirts the north side of the lake, but is not reliably open to ve-hicular traffic. Anglers can also hike in from USFS Road 7561. T13N, R7E, Sec 31; 46 deg 34.49 min N, 121 deg 58.45 min W (46.575, -121.974) at northeast corner.

West Fork Lake: Elevation 3,301 feet, size 7 acres; also known as Janelle Lake, drains via the West Fork Tilton River to the Tilton and Cowlitz rivers. Westslope cutthroat are stocked periodically; the lake also has a thriving crayfish population. Although this lake is located in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, it is shown on the Gifford Pinchot map. Access is down the hill a few hundred feet from a secondary road off of USFS Road 74. T14N, R4E, Sec 32; 46 deg 39.52 min N, 122 deg 19.21 min W (46.659, -122.320) at outlet.

Willame Lake: Elevation 4,062 feet, size 7 acres; drains via Willame Creek to the Cowlitz River. Westslope cutthroat trout are stocked. Willame has a closed season: open last Saturday in April through Oct. 31. Special size and gear rules are also in effect; be sure to check the latest Sport-fishing Rules Pamphlet. A well-worn trail off of USFS Road 4730, Spur 042, which passes within half a mile, leads to the lake. T13N, R8E, Sec 21; 46 deg 35.778 min N, 121 deg 48.36 min W (46.5963, -121.806) at west end.

Wobbly Lake: Elevation 3,333 feet, size 8 acres; drains via Wobbly Creek to the North Fork Cispus River. Eastern brook trout provide decent action here. The state record brook trout (9 pounds!) came from this small lake in 1988 after an apparently unsuccessful rehabilitation attempt by the state. Located in the Gif-

ford Pinchot National Forest. Access is via Trail #273, a hike of about 1.75 miles from the trailhead on USFS Road 2208. T11N, R10E, Sec 20; 46 deg 25.35 min N, 121 deg 35.82 min W (46.423, -121.597) at north end.

Wright Lake: Elevation 3,100 feet, size 3.5 acres; drains via Johnson Creek to the Cowlitz River. Westslope cutthroat trout are

stocked periodically, and an occasion-al lunker rainbow or cutthroat is re-ported. Located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. USFS Road 21 passes a few hundred feet north and west, with a rough dirt road sneaking south through the trees to the lake. Access is hindered by aquatic vegetation that completely surrounds the lake. T12N, R10E, Sec 33; 46 deg 29.628 min N, 121 deg 34.53 min W (46.4938, -121.5755) at north end.


Ocean Beaches, Bays and Harbors

Marine fishing opportunities in Southwest Washington include potential year-round rockfish and surf perch fish-ing, limited mainly by weather, plus sea-sonal opportunity for ling cod, halibut and salmon. Tuna and mackerel are open to fishing year-round, but usually occur in our area only for a short summer pe-riod. Shellfish, including crabs, oysters, mussels, razor clams, plus other clams (littleneck, butter, cockle, eastern soft-shell and horse) are open on a seasonal basis, with health concerns (marine tox-ins) also affecting open seasons.

Bays: Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay pro-vide good, sometimes excellent, fishing for salmon (in season), bottomfish, crab and hardshell clams (littleneck, butter, cockle). Grays Harbor boat launching facilities are available at Ocean Shores Marina and across the bay at Westport. Willapa Bay boaters can launch at Toke-land Marina (fee), North River Resort on Highway 105 about 10 miles west of Raymond (fee), Smith Creek, about 9.5 miles west of Raymond on Highway 105 (WDFW access sticker required), Helen Davis Park on the Willapa River near South Bend (WDFW), Palix River just off of Highway 101 (WDFW), Willapa National Wildlife Refuge on Highway 101 west of Naselle (fee) and at Nahcotta Boat Basin (fee). For bottomfish, such as rockfish, greenling, various sculpins, flounders, and ling cod, check out the jetties and smaller finger jetties outside of the West-port boat basin. Use similar tactics as described below under Jetties. Note that there is a closed season on ling cod; for 2011, the season opened March 19; check the 2011-2012 Sportfishing Rules Pam-phlet for closure date (this pamphlet is usually available about May 1). Other bottomfish, except halibut, are generally open to fishing year-round. The 2011 halibut season is a bit more generous than 2010, with an increase of 12 percent in the allowed total weight. For season opening dates and the latest status on the quotas, check the WDFW web site at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/creel/halibut/. Refer to the Sportfishing Rules Pamphlets for Marine Area de-scriptions. Crabbing is popular in Grays Har-bor, either from a boat or pier. The sea-

son for Dungeness and red rock crab is open from Dec. 1 to Sept. 15 for pot gear, and year-round for other methods. Crab season is open year-round for all types of gear on the Columbia River, with more lenient size restrictions and higher catch limits (12 daily!) for Dun-geness crabs. Salmon seasons are not set until the several agencies involved in their man-agement complete what’s called the “North of Falcon” process, so-called be-cause it involves management of fisher-ies north of Cape Falcon on the Oregon coast. Final decisions are not expected until the week of April 9-14, too late for this publication. Again, the WDFW web site is a good source of informa-tion (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regula-tions/). The 2011-2012 Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet will also have this information. A coho net pen program in the Westport

boat basin provides enhanced salmon-fishing opportunity. Large charter fleets in both Westport and Ilwaco provide ac-cess to salmon fishing for those without an adequate boat.

Ocean Beaches: Pacific beaches give diggers and an-glers a good chance to dig razor clams and catch surf perch. Adventurous an-glers may find other fisheries, includ-ing flatfish (sole and flounder), sea-run cutthroat trout, and even salmon at the mouth of rivers like the Copalis. Razor clam seasons are set by the state using complex formulae, commonly pro-viding up to 35 days of digging from Oc-tober through May of the following year. Clam beaches include Twin Harbors (near Grayland), Long Beach (almost the whole peninsula north of Ilwaco), Copa-

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lis Beach (north of Hoquiam) Mocrocks Beach (farther north of Hoquiam, up to Moclips), and Kalaloch Beach (on the Olympic Peninsula). Not all beaches are open for every season, however, and all open digs depend on safe levels of marine toxins. For currently scheduled seasons, check the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/cur-rent.html or call their fishing hotline at (360) 902-2500. Surfperch fishing is open year-round on all publicly-accessible Pacific beaches, with redtail surfperch the quarry. These tasty fighters can be caught any time of year, with winter through spring being perhaps best, and May best of all. Tradi-tional baits are shrimp, clam neck pieces, and piling worms, but some of the new-er, more realistic artificial baits (for ex-ample, Berkley Gulp 2-inch sandworms) work well. All of these baits should be fished just off the bottom. Most anglers use a two- to four-foot leader with two dropper hooks above a pyramid sinker or special sand sinker. Sinker weight will range from two to six ounces, depend-ing on how strong the surf is and how far you need to cast. Best fishing is usually the first half of the incoming tide. Scout out low places on the beach at low tide, then fish these as the tide comes in; these spots will be deeper and more likely to hold fish.

Jetties: Grays Harbor north and south jetties and the Columbia River north jetty offer a chance for the nimble and adventurous angler to catch black rockfish, surf perch, other bottomfish, and even salmon in season. The Columbia River north jetty is accessible through Fort Canby State Park near Ilwaco, the Grays Harbor south jetty through Westhaven State Park near Westport, and the Grays Harbor north jetty from the very south end of Ocean Shores Boulevard SW, south of the town of Ocean Shores. Exercise extreme cau-tion in jetty fishing, as they are usually uneven walking surfaces, often slippery, and even downright dangerous in some weather conditions. Rockfish, perch and most other bot-tomfish you’re likely to encounter on the jetties are open year-round (but not ling cod; see below). Redtail surfperch are the most common perch species here. See surfperch under Ocean Beaches above for bait and technique informa-tion. Black rockfish are the predomi-nant rockfish species caught from jet-

ties. Best fishing for them seems to be summer, although they may also be caught any time of year. Note: in the unlikely event you should catch a yel-loweye or canary rockfish, it must be released unharmed. The Sportfish-ing Rules Pamphlet has photos of the most commonly-caught rockfish and

other bottomfish. For rockfish, most anglers use leadhead jigs adorned with curly-tailed plastic grubs, tossed out over the rocks and reeled back in just fast enough to not get hung up; be pre-pared to lose lots of jigs. If you’ve got some extra freshwater bass gear, such as deep-diving crankbaits, give that a


try. These f loating lures will often f loat up on a slack line, making them easier to recover. The last part of the incom-ing tide and the following high slack are the best time for rockfish; the slow-er current makes control of your lures easier. You’ll have a decent chance at ling cod from the jetties, too, but the season is not open year-round. In Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) and Marine Area 2 (Westport and Ocean Shores), ling cod opened for fishing March 19 of this year. Be sure to check the 2011-2012 Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet for closing dates, minimum size and catch limits. Most ling cod are caught using similar gear and techniques as used for rockfish. Other bottomfish you might encoun-ter, all open to fishing year-round in Ma-rine areas 1 and 2, are various sculpin species (cabezon, red and brown Irish Lord, Pacific staghorn sculpin), green-ling, and several flatfish species, most commonly starry flounder. Halibut are almost never taken from jetties, and chances are the season would be closed anyway. Although they look like mostly head and no available flesh, the larger sculpins are quite good eating. Be careful in cleaning cabezon, however, as the eggs are reported to be very poisonous. Starry flounder and other flatfish are all good eating when large enough. Salmon fishing from jetties can be good during the runs. Be sure to check the rules, which are complex and vary from year-to-year, depending on strength of the runs. Generally speaking, both chinook and coho can be caught from the jetties. Herring or other bait-fish hung below a large float is a popular technique. Artificial lures, such as jigs, metal spoons, large spinners, and diving plugs will also draw strikes from hungry salmon. Most crab fishing takes place from docks or boats, but anyone who has bottom-fished from a jetty or beach has probably had a crab grab their bait and hang on until almost in reach. Just as you lift them from the water, they let go and scuttle away. But you can outfox them with a tangle-lure, which is a gob of tangled monofilament line with your bait inside. The crabs get caught in the tangle and have a harder time getting away. Hook-and-line crab fishing is open year-round in both Ma-rine areas 1 and 2, with all size, sex, and softshell restrictions still in place. Crab pot fishing in Marine Area 2 has a closed season, but is open year-round in Marine Area 1.

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By Jim Byrd

For The Chronicle

“I consider him, inch for inch and pound for pound, the gamest fish that swims.” So wrote Dr. James A. Henshall, author of “Book of the Black Bass,” one of the more popular books on bass fishing. Henshall was talking about smallmouth bass, and most modern bass anglers would agree with his sentiment.

Smallmouth are eager biters of bait, ar-tificial lure and fly. Hellgrammites (dobson fly larvae) are the preferred bait in the small-mouth’s native range, but we don’t have them here in Western Washington, so nightcrawlers and crayfish will do. Productive lures include surface and diving plugs (crankbaits), jigs, plas-tic grubs, plastic worms, and spinnerbaits. Fly anglers use large, minnow-imitating patterns such as muddlers and clousers, plus leeches,

Smallmouth! The Gamest Fish that Swims Can Be Found Right Here in Lewis County

Jim Byrd holds a typical smallmouth bass on the Yakima River, which offers fantastic smallmouth fishing starting in April. Mid-May through June can be dynamite boat fishing.


Whitlock eels, large woolly buggers and poppers. Although they can be caught almost any time, best smallmouth fishing is af-ter the water warms to above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. In Washington, that usually means April or May through October. More prolific and adaptable than their largemouth cousins, smallmouth can be found in lakes, ponds, reservoirs, rivers and small streams throughout Washing-ton. They are not indigenous to our state, however, having been introduced in the late 1800s. Smallmouth are also fine table fare, and being non-native, anglers can catch and eat without feeling guilty. The Wash-ington Department of Fish and Wildlife encourages this with their more liberal statewide limit on smallmouth (10 fish daily for smallmouth vs. five for large-mouth bass). So where to catch them? There are many excellent smallmouth fisheries in the Evergreen State, with the dry side of the state generally getting the best of it. But there are plenty of good smallmouth opportunities here on the damp side too. Here then are some of the best spots, starting with the west side.

Lewis County — Riffe Lake and the Chehalis River:

There are two good opportunities here close to home. The WDFW stocked Riffe Lake with smallmouth some 20 years ago, and the fishery has really blos-somed in recent years. Four boat launch-es covering both ends of the lake make for great access when water levels are adequate. To check water levels, call Ta-coma Power’s toll-free recreation hotline at (888) 502-8690. Smallmouth were also introduced into Mayfield Lake, but that fishery never developed. Unless you’re after trout, tiger muskies or perch, May-field is a great place to water ski. How about something even closer to the Twin Cities? The Chehalis River was illegally stocked with smallmouth some years ago, and the population seems to grow every year. Best time to fish is after the river has dropped to summer levels and cleared. Think July through Sep-tember. Best fishing seems to be from the Mellen Street Bridge upstream past Riverside golf course to the Newaukum River mouth. This area, part of what’s known as the “Chehalis Reach,” is almost without current in the summer. You’ll also catch plenty of rock bass (a small sunfish) and northern pikeminnows. Largemouth bass are an occasional catch;

though not plentiful, they have inhabited the river for several decades. The biggest obstacle to fishing the Chehalis is access. To get to the area de-scribed above, you have to launch at Fort Borst Park. The boat ramp is rough, but usable for most craft. A small-to-medi-um boat with jet propulsion would be a great choice. From there, move carefully through shallow water upstream past the mouth of the Skookumchuck River. From that point on, the water generally deep-ens, but deadheads lurking just below the surface are a constant threat. There are no boat launching sites upstream from Cen-tralia from which you might conveniently float or power down to Fort Borst Park. The fish have no doubt spread down-stream too. If you can find a place to take out, a drift or powered float from Fort Borst Park down would probably consume a long summer day, but could be produc-

tive. A muddy bank at the southeast cor-ner of the Prather Road bridge looks like it’s been used to drag boats into or out of the river. Another site along Independence Road might also be a potential takeout. Shore fishing access to the Chehalis is poor in areas likely to produce bass. The mouth of the Skookumchuck has given up a few smallmouths, but is often busy with salmon anglers or folks enjoying other aquatic recreation. Alexander Park might produce a few fish, and a light boat or float tube could also be launched there. Beneath any of the public bridges is a possibility, albeit a weak one. Most other shoreline is private property.

Columbia River: Almost the entire river, from the Ca-nadian border to Longview, has a thriv-ing smallmouth population. Best fish-

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ing is above Portland, though, as tidal fluctuations in the lower river inhibit spawning. All of the pools (reservoirs) above Bonneville provide outstanding smallmouth fishing, plus a bonus chance of hooking an ultra-tasty walleye. One of the best things about the Columbia is plentiful access, for both boat and shore fishing. The enemy of these fisheries is weather: the Columbia is not a fun place to be in a boat when the wind kicks up. Unless you’re a wind surfer.

Thurston County: Both Black Lake west of Tumwater and Summit Lake west of Olympia have smallmouth populations. They’ve been in Black Lake a bit longer, so the fish-ery there should be better. The illegally-stocked population in Summit Lake is a relatively recent event, but growing. Neither lake is considered an excellent smallmouth fishery, however. Both of these lakes have largemouth bass and other warmwater gamefish as well.

Mason County: Island Lake north of Shelton has long had a good smallmouth population, but it’s pretty tough fishing. Water clarity makes the bass wary, so locals do a lot of night fishing here. If you fish here mid-day, flourocarbon line would be a wise choice.

Pierce County: American Lake, Spanaway Lake, and Tapps Lake all have established small-mouth fisheries, with Tapps getting the nod as best of these three. Alder Lake is also alleged to have a smallmouth popu-lation.

King County: Lake Washington boasts a world-class smallmouth fishery, with tournament anglers consistently weighing five-fish tournament limits of over 20 pounds. Those fish are all released in accordance with the state’s tournament rules. On a side-note, this lake is also an outstand-ing yellow perch fishery, although there is a maximum consumption advisory due to methyl mercury contamination. The most popular launching site for Southwest Washington anglers is prob-ably Gene Coulon Park in Renton. The downside: you have to navigate through Seattle-area traffic, and the boat launch is relatively expensive ($16 at last check for non-King County residents).

A bit east of, but connected to Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish has the same species mix, but fish don’t seem to average as large. The upside: a state park at the south end of the lake offers a slightly less expensive launching option. Another King County opportunity for both smallmouth and largemouth exists at Sawyer Lake in Kent.

Eastern Washington: For those willing to trek across the mountains, outstanding smallmouth fishing can be found. The Columbia and Snake reservoirs are all great smallmouth waters, but the best, for at least part of the year, may be the lower Yakima River. Be-ginning about April, smallmouth from the Columbia start ascending the Yakima to spawn. Mid-May though June can be dynamite float fishing, and anglers can also run up the river in jet boats. Prop boats are not recommended. There are several good access sites, both for boat launch/takeout and shore fishing. Shore anglers should take precautions against the ticks that can be numerous here in the spring and summer. Water levels in the Yakima greatly influence fishing suc-cess; high, cold water from spring runoff will make fishing harder. To check the flows, go to the US Bureau of Reclama-tion website at http://www.usbr.gov/pn/hydromet/yakima/yak_mcf_list.html.

Ideal flow is less than 5,000 cfs near Prosser (Code YRPW on the web page above). If you like eating smallmouth, there is no limit on the lower Yakima (be sure to check the regulations pamphlet for details). For those who enjoy fishing rivers more than lakes and reservoirs, the Oka-nogan River is also an excellent small-mouth fishery, from Lake Osoyoos to the mouth. A few walleyes are also caught in the lower river. Anglers can access the lower river from the Columbia, launch-ing at Brewster, or at a rough ramp be-neath the Monse bridge. Banks Lake in Grant County was once the premier largemouth bass fishery in the state, but that changed when the WDFW introduced smallmouth in the early 1980s. Largemouth are still there, but smallmouth rule the waters now. Banks also has a wide variety of other game fish, including walleye, yellow perch, crappie, trout, kokanee and burbot. Numerous ac-cess sites exist on the east side of the lake, along state Route 155. Palmer Lake in Okanogan County was also the recipient of state small-mouth stocking, and has developed into an excellent fishery. Palmer has a vari-ety of other game fish similar to Banks, but not walleye. A small but decent boat ramp is available at the south end of the

please see SMALLMOuTH, page 29

Kathy Byrd holds two eager Chehalis River smallmouth bass, descendants of smallmouth somone planted in the river illegally many years ago. The best fishery on the Chehalis is July through Sep-tember in the “Chehalis Reach,” a sluggish, almost lake-like stretch of river between the Mellen Street Bridge in Centralia and the mouth of the Newaukum River in Chehalis.


Editor’s Note: Longtime Chronicle outdoors writer Russ Mohney died this past summer. We miss his writing, keen wit, understanding of the outdoors and his presence. Several years ago the par-ent company of The Chronicle published Mohney’s book “A Simple Song: Recol-lections from a Backwoods County.” The following is one chapter out of the book.

There is a brisk westerly blowing across the valley this week, pushing bands of showers before it. The sheets

of rain can be quite clearly defined as they pass across the lakes and ponds, which have become the object of our attention once again. The river has turned to a transpar-ent pale green color, having deposited the winter silt on streamside fields and covered some of the gravel bars. Lake and pond water has also shed its winter darkness, allowing some of the insects to rise and urging hungry trout to feed.

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Opening Day

lake, off of Loomis-Oroville Road. An-other access site at the northeast corner of the lake is suitable for small craft and four-wheel drive vehicles only. Other very good to excellent small-mouth waters on the east side include Moses Lake and Potholes Reservoir in Grant County, Scooteney Reservoir in Franklin County, and the free-flowing part of the Columbia River known as the Hanford Reach. All of these waters also have good walleye potential. And as mentioned previously, all of the Co-lumbia and Snake reservoirs are good, with huge Roosevelt Lake behind Grand Coulee Dam perhaps the best of these. Roosevelt also offers world-class walleye fishing, plus trout and kokanee. Wherever you decide to go, please check the latest Fishing in Washington sportfishing rules pamphlet first. Open seasons vary, and gear restrictions are in effect at least part of the year in some wa-ters. And although regulations for small-mouth are fairly consistent throughout the state, there are a few differences. If the body of water you’re interested in is not listed, that means it’s open year-round, and the general statewide rule for small-mouth bass applies: no minimum size, 10-fish daily limit, only one fish over 14 inches. Go get ‘em, and see if you don’t agree with Dr. Henshall about the small-mouth’s fighting ability.

‘The Glue That Binds Our Rural

Society Into a Cohesive

Whole’By Russ Mohney

please see OPENiNG, page 30

SmallmouthContinued from page 28


Parking lots and roadsides around the lakes are lonely today, so the rain re-ally isn’t bothering anything. Tomorrow, however, there will be aluminum boats and homemade skiffs bobbing about, ar-guments over launching space or park-ing spots, and fully half the population of the county will be out searching for a limit of trout. It will be “Opening Day.” Every fishable body of flat water has been stocked, trash collected, paths tidied up, and rough boat launches smoothed and raked for the opener. All through the night youngsters dreamed of the fun they would have come morn-ing, of the fish that would be caught. There was neither an inclination nor want to think of time stolen from work or chores or housecleaning being spent instead by mom or dad along a lakeshore. Nor would young heads pay heed to rain that insisted on rattling the shingles in the hours before dawn. Such paltry details were not a consider-ation when Opening Day was about to dawn and be the truth known, mothers

and fathers in every household held the same hope in some secret place, inwardly anxious for the dark dawn to turn light. Opening Day, for all the joy and celebration, is but a fading remnant of the most significant rite of spring in the hill country west of the mountains. You must look back a half century to under-stand how this became the reddest of all the letter-days on the calendar, and why the tradition quite properly won’t allow itself to lapse into history.

OPENiNG DAY, as it evolved through par-ents, grandparents and long-departed kin, is part of what makes foothill folks who they are. It happened this way. Many years ago, all the lakes were closed during the winter and were de-clared open on a special, if rather arbi-trary Sunday with all the fanfare and hubbub of a Polish wedding, Killarney wake, Grange-hall barn dance, Indepen-dence Day parade, a lad’s first kiss, and the county fair all rolled into a solitary morning. If opening day fell on Easter week-end, it was moved a week ahead or set back apparently so guilt and Christian-ity wouldn’t dilute the cultural impor-

tance of Opening Day, regardless of the arguments of the clergy. Despite the Sunday start in those ex-ceedingly proper days, Episcopal Father Murphy, St. Mary’s Father Quinn, Pas-tor Bobby Poole, and others managed to reach the lake as soon after morning services as their parish flivvers would allow. Sermons were short and suc-cinct that Sunday, mostly missed by the gentlemen of the congregation who were otherwise occupied. Much of the community secretly suspected that Opening Day was quietly moved to Saturday at the insistence of great numbers of pastors, preachers, cler-ics, and bishops who also enjoyed fish-ing more than just a little. Opening Day became a fact of life in the backwoods, held in somewhat greater esteem than Election Day or the July Fourth fireworks spectacle. In terms of backwoods county freedom, Opening Day was at least as important as either minor surgery or the last-minute wedding of a careless niece. Eventually, a growing gaggle of bureaucrats and biologists at the state capitol would change the first day of fishing, and our carefully nurtured Opening Day ritual could be lost. Those deskbound ninnies tried to destroy the

OpeningContinued from page 29

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grandest of folk traditions in a pointless effort to reduce traffic congestion on big-city highways in the spring. Many lakes today are either open all year or they open to fishing at some preposterous date that fishery managers drew out of a cocked hat. Bowing to a loud and persistent public outcry, however, quite a number of lakes are still set aside for the big “Opening Day” party that a cadre of anglers just aren’t willing to release from the hallows of foothill tradition. To be honest, back in those one-day-for-all season open-ers, any number of kids may have fudged slightly on the pre-cise opening date, especially if the spring weather was fine and a grade school classroom became unbearably confining. There was neither malice intended nor much hope of ac-tually catching a fish out of season, but a sunny day angling the pea-green water of the Skookumchuck or at Horseshoe Lake was as much a tradition for kidfishers as Opening Day was for their elders. Fishing was, then as now, more a matter of cultural suc-cession than harvest, a point that has wholly escaped the at-tention of fishery people who may technically know but fail to understand what drives an angler. Despite the deliciousness of a few stolen hours on the riv-erbank or lakeshore, the attraction of Opening Day wasn’t lost on us. It was a time to rise at 4 a.m. to travel with fathers to favored lakes, often sleeping in the back seat until we ar-rived at our personal secret trout-fishing spot. Lunches were packed and worms dug the day prior to the grand outing, tackle was rescued from the top shelf of the fruit cellar, hastily inventoried, and reels were oiled so the enclosed sand and pebbles didn’t rattle so. Spiders were chased from long-idle boots and waders.

THE ACTuAL ExECuTiON of the Opening Day ceremony has admittedly changed a bit over the ensuing decades since first we participated, but the spirit of the moment hasn’t been diminished in the slightest. The chance of catch-ing a fairly large trout today is considerably better than in the past. Small fish in those days were semi-minnows that barely made the six-inch minimum size limit, while big ones were often eight inches and occasionally more. Today almost any angler can expect some 10-inchers in the creel, and many will catch one of those new-fangled and totally welcome triploid rainbows that tip the scale at a pound-and-a-half. In our heyday, such a fish would have caused a frantic trip to town to arrange a serious act of taxidermy! Outside interference notwithstanding, the spirit and tradi-tion of Opening Day is alive and well, and we predict it shall always be so. Why else would a foothills county working man invest thousands in a four-wheel drive pickup, a tidy ransom in a boat, motor, and trailer, and two month’s salary on a brace of fine graphite fishing rods for a morning of camara-derie, a lukewarm dawn breakfast, a day with the kids, and barely enough trout collected for a poverty-level dinner? It’s a matter of tradition. Opening Day is the glue that binds our rural society into a cohesive whole. It is the touch-stone of truth and honor, especially as measured by those who choose to live out among the firs and cedars and the ponds where trout can still survive.

••• Russ Mohney, a fourth-generation Lewis County outdoorsman, expanded the best of his decade’s worth of “Backyard Naturalist” columns into a book. Copies of “A Simple Song: Recollections from a Backwoods County” are available for $12.99 at Book ‘n’ Brush, the Lewis County Historical Museum and at The Chronicle.


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•Greatforfloatingbait.•Slidesonline.

•Strong,smoothaction.•Size12,10,and7.

•Allcolors.•Greatcomfort.

CH444466b

w.cg

$699

•Corkhandle,classicfeel.•2-piece.

$1599

$499

2011 Fishing Guide

Documents

Transcript of 2011 Fishing Guide